TPC Analysis on Banlist / Skill Balance Impact
A Word From , TPC Manager
Hello all, in light of the recent balance update, the Top Player Council will walk through the current Tier List decks and how the recent Balance Update has affected them.
A few days before the new ban list, in the KCGT we saw 33 (D/D/D) players and 31 (Burning Abyss) players which is 50% of the total number of the 128 participants.
From the top 14 who made 6-0 or 5-1 there were 4 (D/D/D)s and 5 (BA)s which is more than half, which meant that those 2 decks were dominating the meta. And that is what Konami really hates regardless of their true power. Right after the KCGT there was a ban list that hit both of the decks but it was not enough to make the meta balanced and that is why the new ban list was released. Especially before the second stage of KCGT.
Given the hits from the banlist it can be very easy to identify D/D/D and Burning Abyss to have taken major hits, however I believe upon further investigation the banlist may not be successful in extraditing the top 2 strategies.
Due to the recent banlist we are entering, in my opinion, a very exciting meta. Prior to the banlist we have had so many “strong rogue decks” as I like the call them, aka the 4-5 Tier 3 decks that we have been seeing trying to compete with the best deck D/D?D and second best deck Burning Abyss. However, with yet another hit on both the two best decks, along with the fact that HEROs are finding their place in the meta, we could be facing a meta where we have a bunch of just Tier 2 and 3 decks, with no distinct Tier 1 deck.
D/D/D and Burnng Abyss are far from dead decks, matter of fact they are still strong and will compete well in this very balanced meta state. All decks from the most recent Tier List will stay popular and fighting to remain on the list. Nekroz is one deck that will likely come back and join that fight, and essentially we will have a meta where any of these decks can win a tournament if lucky enough to face preferred matchups. In other words, tournaments and leagues will likely be very entertaining for some time now.
Regarding HEROs, it is now divided into more generic builds running Vision HEROs and pure Elemental HERO builds running HERO Alliance , which both are very strong and I believe will be one of the strongest competitors to top the tier lists in the near future. I think the hero alliance build is stronger in the mirror due to the searchable superpoly, however, I feel like the vision hero build is more versatile vs a larger amount of decks as it draws through the deck (and hence finds tech/side cards) even faster than the other build.
Current Tier List
Tier 1
TPC Comments
Two weeks ago, I said there is no way D/D/D leaves the Tier 1 unless Konami hits it again by putting Loading... to 3 along with another card, and that is exactly what happened. Now Slime and Loading... are put to 3, which broke the consistency of the deck and left it without a strong follow up.
The fusion combo was the strongest one especially if it was made along with the Skill activation at a time, but even though the deck is still very good with only 1 Slime.
Though the ban list was really extreme, D/D/D is not dead yet. With the help of Loading... , Loading... and the other cards, the deck is still playable. Some players already started using Loading... to add Loading... to the hand on Turn 1 and give the deck more consistency which can be really good.
I think the deck will probably be Tier 2 now and can compete with other decks in competitive tournaments. Moreover, Konami may bring some support whenever they add Loading... (the selection card) into a non-Selection box, which might be another reason behind this strong hit.
I believe many people think D/D/D is no longer viable with the nerfs, but after testing and running the numbers I am not convinced this is the case. Loading... can behave as a fourth copy of Loading... , or as a second copy of Loading... . The consistency at which it can output two Rank 8s Turn 1 is greatly diminished, but not it's ability to draw three cards or to reach multiple powerful tech cards. I think anyone who has written off D/D/D should strongly reconsider its viability, as I think HEROs are the only deck that it loses to.
While suffering a consistency hit, D/D/D still has the same tools before the banlist and therefore shouldn't be expected to disappear or fall that far off the meta. While it is more vulnerable to backrow disruption due to less Loading... and will overall have slower turns, the deck still has insane recovery and pushes with Xyz Monsters / Loading... . Cards like Loading... and Loading... are being tested, one giving the deck the flexibility to keep resetting Loading... ’s scale and searching while also being able to put up defense or extend with Ragnarok in the scale, and the other providing the deck some of the consistency it lost.